Yesterday Becomes Tomorrow
by Penskii
Summary: Due to a potions accident, Harry Potter and friends recieve a blast from the past when James and Company, Severus, and Lily are thrown into Harry's time. He can't tell his parents who he is- or that Voldemort is after them to make sure he's never born.
1. Prologue: When Cauldrons Blow Up

**Author's Note**: First, allow me to apologize. The quality of this is less than that of my one-shots. I'm working on that. Poor quality aside, I'm very eager to work on this. It's a time-turner fic with a real plot that doesn't involve romance. Yay. Not to say there isn't anything wrong with romance-centered time turner fics-...Anyway. My first chapter fic. I'm excited. Yay.

**Disclaimer:**I don't own the characters. I'd like to think the plot is original enough to be called mine, but Time-Turner fics have been done before.

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_Pay Close Attention, Here it Gets Tricky._

**Prologue**

**1998**

"The potion you will be brewing today is one of incredible difficulty and requires constant attention. The _Corporis Animum Transtuli_, otherwise known as The Body Mind Transfer, will allow the consumer to swap bodies with the first person he or she comes in contact with." Professor Snape paused, turning towards Neville Longbottom. "It is incredibly fatal if brewed incorrectly. Proper preparation is key."

Neville Longbottom flushed with embarrassment. It was no secret among the students of Hogwarts that Neville somehow managed to botch every potion he touched. Even the simpliest of healing brews was not safe from Neville Longbottom.

Professor Snape's gaze moved from him as he continued his speech. "For your benefit, The Potion has been watered down immensely so that it will not be as powerful or as long lasting. I would hate to see what would happen if it fell into the wrong hands." He was now looking squarely at Draco Malfoy, who was jutting out his lower lip in an attempt to look the perfect picture of innocence. It wasn't working.

With a sigh, Professor Snape taped his wand on the large black board at the front of the room. Instructions for brewing the _Corporis Animum Transtuli_began to appear in flowling script. He took one final look at the class before telling them to begin.

**1976**

"Can anyone tell me what potion can be made with the following main ingredients- Extracted Puffer fish Poison, Peppermint Oil, Ground Clovers, Rosemary Leaves, and Skins of Electric Eels?" Professor Slughorn rounded on his students, eagerly awaiting the raised hands. Almost immediately after finishing his question two familiar hands shot up into the air. Lily Evans and Severus Snape, though Lily's was indeed much higher and prouder than Severus's.

Instead of calling on either of them, Professor Slughorn turned to James Potter. James had his head down, messy black hair covering his eyes.

"Mr. Potter, would you be so kind as to answer the question?" Professor Slughorn approached the desk, one hand resting on the wood while the other stroked his famous walrus mustache.

James lifted his head up, blue eyes twinkling. "Uh. Sure Professor. The answer is...." His eyes darted around, searching for an answer. A few desks up his friend, Remus, mouthed something he didn't quite catch. "The answer is..._Copos Amimom Trusuli_."

Professor Slughorn chuckled. "Nice try, Mr. Lupin. Perhaps Mr. Potter should spend the time he slacks off taking lip reading lessons."

James flushed as Professor Slughorn walked away, stopping in front of Lily. "Miss Evans?"

Lily slid off of her stool, standing behind her desk so she could proudly recite her answer. "The Corporis Animum Transtuli, more commonly known as The Body Mind Transfer. It's purpose is to allow the brewer to swap bodies with the first person he or she comes in contact with. The first three base ingredients are used purely as an anesthetic to numb the consumer to the pain when the mind switch takes place. At it's most potent form.." Lily paused to take a breath. "It can last up to a year. In it's weakest form the effects last only a few hours."

Before she could continue Slughorn held up a hand to stop her. "Very good, Miss Evans. 15 points to Gryffindor for such a splendid answer." He now turned to Severus Snape, who usually sat in the back of the class and didn't raise his hand as often as he should have. "Mr. Snape, this potion is the inspiration for what popular phrase often used to describe experiencing someone else's trials and tribulations?"

Severus slumped on his stool, a flush creeping up his cheeks as all eyes turned on him. When he looked up he could see Lily gazing at him, flashing a confident smile. He swallowed hard and mumbled his answer.

"What was that, Mr. Snape?"

"To walk a mile in someone else's shoes."

"Brilliant. Five points to Slytherin. Now-" Professor Slughhorn walked up to the blackboard at the front of the class, giving it a good smack with his wand. Slowly, instructions for the potion began to write themselves on the board. Slughorn turned back to his class. "Begin."

**1998**

Harry nudged Neville, their cauldron dangerously close to bubbling over. "What's Hermione adding?" Harry hissed, squinting his eyes to see what ingredient Hermione and Ron were adding to their shared cauldron next, and how much of it.

"W-w-well." Neville cleared his throat and looked up at the board. "Since the base has finished b-b-bubbling, I think we're supposed to add lavender petals now. I think. I haven't k-k-kept time for how long it was boiling, have you?"

Harry shook his head, shaggy hair flying in all directions. "No, sorry mate. Thought you were."

"I was too busy trying to read the instructions!" Neville began to panic, his breath catching in his throat. If they botched this up, they could kill themselves. It was probably what Snape had wanted. Pair Harry with Neville and hope Neville did something horrible that would kill them both off. He was determined to fix whatever mistake he had made, re-reading the steps writing on the board.

"Don't worry, Neville." Harry laid a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. "The next step written on the board is to add the lavender petals, so let's do that."

Neville nodded, picking up the lavender petals. He was right about to drop them when he heard Hermione hiss at him. "No no no! Neville! You can't do that now or-"

"Miss Granger!" Professor Snape boomed. "Concentrate on your own potion or you and Mister Weasley will be receiving a zero for today's work." He spun on his heel, his robes billowing at his feet. Hermione's head dropped, a blush creeping across her cheeks. Ron gave her back and comforting pat, but it wasn't needed. She was back to her potion in no time at all.

There was a problem, however. In that slight, brief moment when Snape had called Hermione out, Neville had started. His hand twitched, dropping the petals into the cauldron. His face stared into the cauldron in horror.

"Harry-" He hissed, his face paling as their brew bubbled into a sickly green color. "Harry!"

Harry turned, looking down at their cauldron. "Neville, what did you- oh no!" The cauldron began to rock upon the table, making the wood creak.

This caught Snape's attention. He inched closer, eyeing the contents of the cauldron. His gaze narrowed into glare and he fixed his eyes and Neville. "Please." He drawled out the word, his voice wavering with a tone that meant one's life would probably end very soon. "Tell me, Mr. Longbottom, that you took Miss Granger's advice and did not add the petals."

Neville bit his bottom lip and looked away. The cauldron suddenly heaved, purple bubbles lifting out and into the air. Snape's angry face quickly changed into one of worry. "Everybody!" He yelled. There was no time to get the students out. If the cauldron exploded or- The cauldron rattled again, dark smoke rising. "Hit the ground now!"

Harry had just enough time to yank Neville under the desk before the cauldron exploded.

**1976**

"Did you hear a word Slughorn said?" James asked Sirius, squinting at the directions. Their cauldron was nearly boiling over, though it was the shade it was supposed to be.

"Not a word." Sirius said, grinning. "Sorry, I couldn't keep my eyes off of Milly. She's got the most gorgeous lips. Mysterious eyes. Would look absolutely perfect if she ever-"

James cleared his throat, elbowing Sirius in the ribs. "Come on, Padfoot. Let's try not to kill ourselves this time. Now, what are we supposed to do next?"

Sirius shrugged, burrowing his hands into his pockets. "Not a clue, mate." He tossed his head over his shoulders, focusing his gaze on Lily. "Looks like Evans is adding some sort of flower to her's. Maybe we should be adding those frilly petal things now?"

James turned to focus where Sirius was looking. "Are you sure those were the lavender petals and not the dragonfly wings? It's so hard to tell. Man, she looks gorgeous today. I wonder how often she's going to wear her hair up like-" Sirius returned the elbow James had given him earlier. "Oh, right. Sorry mate." A gentle blush crept across James' tanned cheeks. He tugged at the collar of his shirt, looking back down at his cauldron. "Yeah, go ahead and all the lavender petals."

Severus stirred his brew three times to the left and glanced up. Was Black adding the lavender petals now? He was going to kill them all, surely! Severus sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. That's when he heard it. He would know that sound anywhere, with Pettigrew's horrible potion making skills. He never suspected it would be Black this time, but sure enough it was the Potter-Black cauldron that was rattling on the table.

"What have you done?" Slughorn roared, reaching the James' and Sirius's cauldron. It was spasming, sending purple bubbles and dark smoke into the air. "Everyone, quickly. Try to get out- or take cover- I-" But he never had the time to finish. The cauldron exploded and the room filled with thick, dark smoke.

Lily coughed, covering her mouth. She knew that if she swallowed any of the potion she could risk swapping bodies with someone else, but she had never heard of breathing in the smoke working the same way. The blast had sent her a little off balance, and she was just about to stabilize herself by grabbing the table when she felt a pull behind her navel. It felt like her feet were moving quickly across the stone floor. Too quickly. Her head was spinning. "James! Severus! Someone!" She screamed, feeling like she was being pulled far away from the classroom.

James and Sirius, who lay on the floor from the force of the blast, soon felt the tug behind their navels. Almost like a portkey, but so much worse. James felt his hand, his entire body, flying across the stone floor though at the same time he felt like he wasn't moving anywhere. Severus, Remus, Peter, all were being tugged across the floor with force unimaginable, yet weren't moving at all. James could hear Lily cry out, but it sounded so far away.

Then, suddenly, he felt like he had slammed back into the ground. It hurt bad. It was like falling from the top of a five story high building and hitting the ground, but James had never gotten up or moved. Lily felt similarly, slamming into a stone wall and then hitting the floor. She coughed from the smoke, her eyes shut. Her body felt numb, like she was slipping away.

**1998**

Harry couldn't breath. Couldn't see. He coughed, painfully. He knew Neville was still beside him under the table, but he couldn't see or feel him. Inching his way out from under the table, Harry made his way across the stone floor. He could hear raspy breathing and see a busy haired silhouette outlined in the smoke. Hermione. He tried to call out to her but his lungs filled with smoke. He kept moving, his hands brushing across the stone floor. He reached out, trying to find the door, when his fingers grabbed onto an ankle. He looked down, his finger's wrapped around an outdated shoe.

He couldn't ponder further. He heard Snape say something or other when all the smoke began to disappear. His eyes watered, but when his vision cleared he looked down to see who he had accidentally grabbed onto.

Harry gasped. The face he was looking down on was his own, only there was no scar on his forehead. Taking a gulp of fresh air, Harry broke the silence in the room. "Dad?"

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Want to find out what happens next? Who wound up where, and who switched bodies with who? Well, then, help motivate the author. Click review.


	2. Chapter 1: Blast from the Past!

**Author's Notes:  
**Okay. When I started this baby I had a dream. It was a small dream. Update the fanfiction every week or so. However, once again, I popped off of the face of the fanfiction planet for two months or so. I didn't even look back at this fic. Hell, I was plannng on making a new account, moving my favorite fanfics there, and starting anew. Again. However, I didn't. And this fanfiction is the reason why. I longed to finish it so very much, and while I don't have the same spark for it I did two months ago, I want to see it through until the end. Plus, I have other fanfiction ideas. And I love this account too much. So, Here we go.  
The long awaited chapter for YBT. Enjoy.

PS. Short chapter is short. Forgive me. It's only three pages. Next time, I promise at least eight. And if I don't update soon, throw rocks at me.

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_Today's Opportunities Erase Yesterday's Failures_

_~Gene Brown_

**1998**

"My head hurts..." James mumbled, rolling over on his side and running his hands through his hair. His eyes were closed, and surprisingly his glasses were still intact, despite feeling like he had been dropped from the Astronomy Tower. His back hurt, his head was pounding, and he could hear blood rushing in his ears. He regretted opening his mouth to talk, because the action had caused a horrible smokey after-taste to rise up his throat and coat his taste buds.

"Your bloody head? My bloody head." Sirius answered, his voice hoarse. He gave a sudden cough, pushing himself on his hands and knees.

"James?" Lily whispered from where she was sprawled against the cold stones. "What happened?" She slid her feet against the floor, her muscles aching and her head spinning. She opened her eyes, staring up at the ceiling. It looked the same, but different. The room was still hazy with smoke.

"James?" Harry, who had stood still near his father and watched as the group awoke, repeated outloud. "James Potter?"

"Who else would bloody try to kill us all?" Severus, who was pressed up against the door frame and still had his eyes closed, spoke up. "They should just expel them and be done with it- the whole lot of them."

Harry turned to Professor Snape, who had his coal black gaze fixed on the younger version of himself. His jaw was working up and down but no works were coming out. Harry had seen Snape shocked before, many times when Dumbledore had announced that despite breaking hundreds of rules Harry would be staying. This time was different. This time, it was almost a fear. He watched as Snape's eyes moved over to Lily, whose red hair had fallen over her doll like face. Her green eyes were visible, and there was no doubt that it was Lily Evans.

"Shut up, Snivellus. No one cares what you think." Sirius spoke again, moving to sit on his knees.

Upon hearing his old childhood nickname coming back to haunt him, adult Severus seemed to find his words at last.

"Everyone out- Except for Potter, Weasley, Granger, Longbottom, and Malfoy." Professor Snape bellowed, his eyebrows knitting in anger. "Everyone else, to the Hospital Wing. I don't have time to evaluate who inhaled what and who swallowed whose potion. Go. Now."

As the students filed out of class, coughing and wheezing, Professor Snape turned to Harry. "You lot stay put. I'm contacting the Headmaster."

"Potter what?" It wasn't Harry, but James who spoke as Professor Snape billowed out of the room to get Albus. Harry ignored it, however, because he was fixated on his father. He hadn't seen his father so vividly since looking in the Mirror in his first year. His dad, his mom, they were right there in front of him. Although, it was quite a few years before they were going to have Harry, they were still his mom and dad. He couldn't help but feel like Merlin was giving him some sort of second chance at getting to know them.

Before he could say anything, he heard Sirius pipe up. "Oy, James, I think Moony's knocked out."

Sirius was awake and standing over his sandy haired classmate. Remus was laying in the most uncomfortable position, and had yet to speak up or make any indication he was conscious. At Sirius's proclamation, James began to push himself up on his feet.

"Give me a minute, I'm-" James stopped. At his full height, he was eye to eye with his future son. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "Holy Bats and Banshees. Padfoot. Padfoot."

"What's wrong, Prongsy? Hair turn green-" Sirius spun and stopped as suddenly as James had. "Woah. You could bloody be twins."

"Twins?" Remus spoke up at last, coughing as a rather large cloud of smoke exited his lungs.

"He lives!" Sirius turned again, suddenly, and dropped by Remus. "You scared me Moony!" He sounded so relieved, wrapping his arms around his good friend and pulling him into a hug. Meanwhile, Hermione and Ron had joined Harry. Ron placed his hand on Harry's shoulder, his fingers shaking.

"Harry.." Hermione whispered, James' eyes still fixated on him. "Do you think it's really.." but her voice faded. She was wavering with uneasiness, her eyes watching young Snape stand and move to a corner, eyeing them warily. Sirius and Remus were helping each other up, dusting each other off. Lily stood but wasn't paying them any attention and instead was assessing herself for injuries.

"Who the hell are-" James started, but the door slamming open made him jump.

"Aha! Why yes, this is quite the predicament." Albus stepped into the classroom first, followed by adult Snape with robes billowing.

James squinted his eyes at Headmaster Dumbledore, his mind registering that the man looked so much older than he remembered. His eyes were still twinkling, though. And who was that behind Dumbledore? Long greasy hair, hooked nose. The man was probably Snivellus' father. They sure looked related. He turned back to look at Severus, who looked just as surprised as James did. Perhaps Severus hadn't seen his father in years, and this was some sort of family reunion.

"Who is this?" James said, pointing at Harry.

"I'm-" Harry started to say, but Hermione covered his mouth with her head.

"Is it safe to tell him, Headmaster?" She questioned, her eyes turning to Dumbledore. "I mean, will it change things? The past, today, if..if he were to know?"

"Know what, excatly?" James pushed on, stepping closer to Harry. They were about the same height, and James stood close enough that their noses were touching. He reached up and brushed Harry's hair aside, gazing at the famous scar then looking at Harry's eyes.

"It's so freaky." James continued. "You could be me, almost."

"I think, Miss Granger, that it is safe to tell Mr. Potter exactly what it going on here. In fact, I will do so myself. James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, Severus..Harry, Hermione, Ron, Neville. Professor Snape.." Dumbledore turned to the adult Severus now. "Please escort our guests to my office. I would like a moment to examine the cauldron that caused this."

Professor Snape nodded, turning his glare on the young students in the room. "You heard the Headmaster. March, all of you. Out."

"Professor Snape?" Severus sputtered, his eyes widening. "Professor..Snape?"

"I didn't know your daddy was a Professor, Snivellus." Sirius chimed, narrowing his eyes at child Severus. "No wonder you're still at this school when nobody likes you..."

Sirius couldn't continue. Professor Snape reached out and grabbed the collar of his robes, shoving him out the door. "Five points from Gryffindor for being an ignorant little twit..." Severus's voice faded.

Finally, Dumbledore was left alone with the cauldron. He stepped up the the table and gathered his robes around him. Peering into the cauldron, he tried to figure out what could have caused such a break in time. Of course, he would question Severus later. Both the adult and the young Snape could have some idea of what was going on here. He dipped his finger into the mixture and brought it to his nose, sniffing. It had a burning smell to it, and warmed his whole hand even though the glob remained on the edge of his index. It felt practically radioactive.

"Hmn." He mused out loud, wipping his finger on his robes. Wizards were no strangers to time travel. There were devices made and charmed for just that sort of thing. He had even let Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger use such a device in their third year. He could not recall a potion causing such a thing to happen, but there were no impossibilities.

That is, except for the fact that- Judging by the smell and feel of the potion, and adding to the fact that it was a reaction that had not happened before, it might be impossible to reverse it.

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A cliffhanger, eh? To motivate the author to update more often, hit the review button!


	3. Chapter 2: Meet and Greet

Author's Note: Another chapter so soon? Why yes. Yes it is. You're welcome, kind readers.

It took me a minute to remember just who was in the room to begin with.

So, the witnesses to the time travel incident are Draco, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville from the present. Draco was just..out cold last chapter. As was Peter. The others from the past include James, Sirius, Severus, Remus, and Lily.

Now that everyone is accounted for, Let's Begin.

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_"There is no squabbling so violent as that between people who accepted an idea yesterday and those who will accept the same idea tomorrow."_

_~Christopher Morley_

**Outside of Dumbledore's Office**

"So, what do you think?" Dumbledore reached out and wrapped his old fingers around Minerva McGonagall's arm. He could feel her body heat through her thick robe. He was worried for his Deputy Headmistress. Her face had gone cold and her eyebrows were knit together. He knew that she had been one of the staff hit the hardest with the news of James and Lily's death, and to think they were right there inside that office, alive and well...It was hard to accept.

She pulled herself together surprisingly quickly, pulling herself away from Dumbledore and pacing for a moment. "I think, Albus, that no time turner could take anyone so far into the future or the past. No spell, no charm."

"There are spells.." Albus mumbled, more to himself. "Ancient, but they still work. It is not impossible. Artifacts. Charms. They are old, not well known, but they exist. Time Turners can be altered.."

Minerva paused in her pacing. "So there are artifacts, spells. Albus, is there a potion?"

"No." Albus answered, no frustration in his voice. "There is no potion that can cause someone to time travel. Only charms and spells, but no potion. The reasoning behind this is that you can use a charm or spell twice. You can keep an object with you to take you home. However, once you leave the cauldron, you do not have another one waiting for you whenever you go. Traveling with beakers is too dangerous. I'm sure it has been attempted but.."

"But never succeeded." Minerva finished for him, pulling her lips into a tight line. "Albus, do you think we should tell them? About who they are? They will have to go back eventually, and when they do..They might try to change their future. They might.." She trailed off, not knowing how to finish. She crossed her arms over her chest and huffed to herself. "If James and Lily Potter knew they were destined to die, to leave their only child behind with less than pleasant relatives..They might try to change that. If they do..there would be no Harry Potter."

"I have been thinking of that, Minerva." Dumbledore whispered, his eyes twinkling. "If the potion wears off and they are suddenly transported back to the 1970s, the knowledge would stay with them. Then they would, as anyone would, try to change their future to ensure they remained alive. However, if a separate potion has to be brewed, an antidote-if you will, to send them back, then we could.."

Minerva gasped. "Are you suggesting we let them live weeks-months, however long it takes, knowing they will die and then tamper with their memories before they go back?"

Dumbledore felt a smile tugging at his lips. Sometimes, Minnie could be so dramatic. "Perhaps we tell them bits and pieces now, and we will tame that dragon when we come to it." He turned to his office door, fingers running along the ancient wood.

"I am not sure I approve of this. Letting them get to know their only child- then ripping it away from them." Minerva huffed, turning her back towards Dumbledore.

"Do you think we have any other choice, Minerva?" He waited for her response, carefully watching as she shifted her weight from one foot to the next.

"No Albus, I don't think we do. We can't hide Harry from them, they'll figure it out eventually. Of course, we can't let them go back with the knowledge of who Harry is and why he lived. If the change the past.."

"They change the future." Albus finished, nodding. "It won't be pretty future, Minerva."

"I know." She nodded, turning back to face him. Her lips were drawn into a frown and her eyes were full of sadness. "If James and Lily run from Voldemort, there will be no one waiting to survive the killing curse. If Harry isn't there to survive it, Voldemort will just keep killing. He will gain more followers, he will..." Her voice cracked.

"Without the past as it was, we will lose the present as it is." Albus reached out and brushed Minerva's cheek, nodding sadly.

**Inside Dumbledore's Office**

_(A moment later.)_

When Dumbledore entered his office at last, Minerva at his heels, he had expected the scene he saw before him.

Harry and James were standing in front of each other, almost staring each other down. Professor Snape stood beside them trying to pull James away from Harry. It appeared that James was trying to examine Harry like some scientific freak show. Harry was standing, frozen, with his green eyes wide and trained on James. Lily had James' arm gripped tight in her hands. Sirius and Remus stood on James' other side, with Peter behind them. Hermione and Ron stood next to each other, behind Harry. Draco and the young Severus stood side by side, watching James and Harry carefully. Neville stood off to the side, not wanting to be near anyone. No one was saying anything.

"Ahem." Dumbledore cleared his throat, causing the teens to jump and Professor Snape to look up. "It appears an explanation is in order."

Albus, with only a wave of his hand, conjured up a few more chairs so that everyone had a seat. "Everyone, please sit. Get comfortable. This may take some time." He waved his hand again, and a tray with finger sandwiches and tea appeared on his desk.

"Help yourselves."

Everyone stared at Dumbledore for a moment before wordlessly taking a seat. They left the tray untouched.

As Dumbledore took his place in his chair behind the desk, he noticed how everyone had divided themselves up. Severus and Minerva stood, not touching one another, on each side of the door. On once side of the room, sitting in the chairs, were the teens who had traveled decades to the future. On the other side were the teens from the current time period. Dumbledore almost chuckled to himself, reminded of how students are prone to forming tightly knit groups and not venturing outside of them.

"Well.." He began. "Due to a potions accident, the blame of which will not be placed on anyone in this room.." His knowing eyes landed on Harry and Neville, but moved quickly to gaze at a spot right above the door. "James, Lily, Remus, Sirius, Peter, Severus..." Dumbledore paused, folding his hands on his desk. "You are now in the year 1998."

"What!?" The question seemed to come from three people at once. One of which was not James, who merely sunk further in his chair and furrowed his brow. Severus, Remus, and Sirius had all spoken, but were now all looking at each other.

Peter whined from his chair, his fingers gripping at the armrest. "How? What about..home?"

Severus spun around, practically knocking his chair over. "So that means..Professor Snape..is..is.."

"Always a bright one." Dumbledore mumbled, smiling a sort of half smile while not once looking at any of the teenagers. It seemed his mind was elsewhere, his thoughts broken when Draco Malfoy piped up.

"I don't understand why I'm here. I didn't mess up my potion." He huffed, rolling his eyes. Even with his sarcastic tone, a curious blush spread across his cheeks and he kept darting his gaze over at the teenagers from days passed.

"You are here, Mr. Malfoy, because I asked you to be here." Dumbledore turned his gaze on Draco. "I do not need to explain myself further than that."

Draco snorted to himself, curling his body away from everyone and pulling his knees to his chest. "Whatever." He mumbled. It was obvious that Dumbledore thought that wherever there was trouble involving Harry Potter, Draco had to be involved. Which wasn't the case, but Dumbledore wasn't about to let Draco out of that office.

"If you must know, Draco." Draco winced as Dumbledore used his given name. "You are here because your cauldron was stationed, as I assume it always has been, near the cauldron that had caused the explosion. You are an eyewitness, if you will."

"Who the hell cares about what happened to get us here?" James broke out, finally. "How are we getting back?"

"Perhaps another potion?" Hermione piped up, then backed down immediately when all eyes turned on her. "I-I was just thinking that.."

"An antidote, yes. Though, it is still unknown why this happened, so it will be hard for us to figure out a way to return everyone to their proper time period. James, I assure you, we are doing everything we can to send you back home safely. First, however, we must understand what caused this." Dumbledore's eyes sought out James, wondering why the boy had burst out so suddenly. He assumed that James would be excited about time travel, but he knew that the boy was probably scared of leaving his family and everything behind.

"Potter and Black blew up their cauldrons." Severus, the young one curled up in his chair who was trying to have his back to everyone, sneered out. "It's probably all their fault."

"It could be.." Hermione broke out again, before Sirius or James could retort. "In muggle movies, sometimes when something happens somewhere and that same excat thing happens at the same time in another decade or universe, the people it happens to switch bodies or places. For example, if Sirius' and James' cauldron had blown up at the excat same time as Harry's and Neville's then that could cause them to switch places. Or, I suppose, in this case..." Hermione trailed off, though nobody finished for her.

"I've never seen it happen in this way." She added, her cheeks flushing. "I mean, it's always a body switch. It's never one person comes and the other doesn't leave."

"Stupid muggle movies. What do muggles know?" Draco muttered.

"I bet a lot more than you do, you...you.." James struggled with the words, trying to insult the blonde kid whose name he didn't know.

"Ferret?" Offered Ron.

"Yes. Ferret." James huffed. "Who the bloody hell are you, anyway?"

"I'll tell you who the bloody hell I am-" Draco was quickly standing, eyes narrowed in a glare.

Dumbledore cleared his throat and motioned for Draco to sit back down. After a moment of wondering if killing this James person was worth it, it had appeared that Draco decided it wasn't and sat back down. Though he had sat peacefully as Dumbledore had wanted, it didn't stop him from mumbling about bloody ferrets and stupid Potty's. James wasn't deaf, of course, and began talking under his breath himself. Things like 'gone bonkers' and 'doesn't know what he's getting himself into.'

Dumbledore chuckled to himself. Some things never change.

"I believe some introductions are in order. First of all, our guests from the past should realize that it is now 1998." Dumbledore began, but Sirius interrupted.

"You've already said that." He pointed out, leaning forward in his chair. "We're from the past, we get it."

"It is the future now. As such, you've all already grown up. Have had children. Some of you have even died." Dumbledore's face turned somber, but he made it a point to not look at any of the teens. His far off stare's purpose was so that he couldn't give any of them a clue of who had died by looking at them.

There were gasps of shock and the past generation glanced among each other. Even child Severus, with adult Severus in the room, paled a bit and worried at his bottom lip. As if sensing this, the adult Severus spoke up.  
"Don't worry, it isn't you."

"Thank you, Severus." Dumbledore held up his hand before Professor Snape could give anything else away.

"Severus? You mean..like me? I'm going to teach at Hogwarts?" Younger Snape was on the edge of his seat, staring at his older self. "What do I teach?"

"Potions." Professor Snape drawled, a smile tugging at his lips. It wasn't something that happened often, but he was realising the chance to tutor himself. Make himself better. Save himself. Change things.

"Wow." Young Severus breathed, leaning back. "Should've went for Defense Against the Dark Arts.." He mumbled afterwords, as an afterthought.

"Alright, so Snivellus stays a nerd. What do I become?" Sirius was on the edge of his seat now, gray eyes twinkling. "Auror? Quidditch Star?" He paused, taking a deep gasp. "I'm Minister of Magic, aren't I?"

"You are a convict." Professor Snape hissed, crossing his arms and glaring at the dark haired boy. "A convicted murderer and Azkaban runaway."

Sirius gasped, his eyes narrowing in return. One of his eyes was twitching, and there was a small vein that began to throb in his temple underneath all of his shaggy hair. "I don't care." He grumbled. "I'm still better than you, Snivellus."

"Why you little-" Professor Snape spat, reaching for his wand.

"Severus!" Dumbledore boomed. Reluctantly, Professor Snape backed down. He crossed his arms and looked away, leaning against the door frame. Minerva stared at him for a moment, her eyes narrowed in rage, but she kept her mouth shut.

"Who do I become?" Peter asked shyly.

"An auror, alongside Mr. James Potter." Dumbledore lied, smiling at the pudgy boy. "Who marries Lily Evans."

"What?!" It was Severus, the younger version, who spat out this time. His dark eyes were widened and his face had lost all emotion.

"Oh." Lily whispered to herself, her face turning red. She was pointedly avoiding looking at James, or anyone else for that matter. "I..Well. That's nice, I suppose. Stuck with that.... I guess we'll have a good life."

"Not for-" Draco tried to speak, but it was Neville who moved. He covered Draco's mouth with his pudgy fingers.

"Mr. Malfoy- Draco, you are not needed here anymore. I'm sure Harry and Neville can supply an accurate account of what happened without the angry outburst. Do try to relax, Draco. Having a temper is not good for your health." Dumbledore nodded to the door. "Severus, please escort him out."

"Why do I have to...Oh." Severus started to speak but sank deep down in his chair when he realized that Headmaster Dumbledore hadn't been referring to him. His face glowed crimson with embarrassment, which he tried to hide by burying his face in his fingers. Professor Snape placed a firm grip on Draco's collar, stepping out of the room with the door closing behind them.

"Professor? Headmaster? What becomes of me..?" Remus' voice was so quiet it was hardly heard, but everyone in the room did hear it.

"An Auror as well, dealing with the fight against unruly magical beasts." Dumbledore lied again. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville knew he was lying but didn't know why. They just remained quiet, curled up in their chairs and making only the occasional noise to let others know they were still alive.

"So you finally got her." Sirius whispered to James while Lily, whose face was still red, nibbled her bottom lip.

"Do we have a happy marriage? Any children? Grandchildren?" Lily mumbled, as if she didn't want Dumbledore to hear it but had to ask anyway.

"A happy marriage to Potter? Doubt it." Severus muttered, playing with the loose threads on his robe.

"Shut it, Snivelly. Just because you're jealous..." Sirius started, but Harry interrupted.

"Me. I'm your son." He slid to the edge of his seat and looked at James and Lily. "My name is Harry. Harry James Potter. I'm in Gryffindor, I play Quidditch." His mind was racing, thinking of anything he could tell his parents. "I don't have a girlfriend. Uhm. I have Dad's old invisibility cloak. I have-"

"Harry?" Lily asked slowly, drawing out his name on her lips.

"Yeah?" Harry's heart was pounding. His mother was right there, talking to him.

"Am I a good mother to you?" She asked softly, looking him over.

Harry turned to Dumbledore, and in an instant knew the man wanted him to lie. He didn't know why, but he knew if there was no trusting Dumbledore there was no trusting anyone else. "Yeah, you we-are. You are."

Lily nodded, satisfied. James wasn't, however.

"You play Quidditch?" He asked, eagerly. "What position? Seeker? Beater? Keeper? You have my cloak, eh? What about the map? Did I give you the map?"

Harry nodded, smiling. He couldn't help it, tears were forming in his eyes. His dad was right there. Right. There. Talking to him. Caring about him. Wanting to know about who Harry was, wanting to know about Harry's life. He had to take a minute before he answered the questions.

"I'm seeker. We have the map, yeah. Oh!" He turned, gesturing to his friends. "These are my best friends, Ron and Hermione. And that's Neville. He's a Gryffindor too."

"Well. I see I don't have to explain any further." Dumbledore smiled at Harry's eagerness. "I would like to ask you all to go to the Hospital Wing now. While your classmates were tested for any side effects from the potion, you all haven't been checked up. Also, I want to make sure no one has sustained any serious injuries during the time travel incident."

"What are we supposed to tell Madam Sully?" Severus asked, rubbing his head. "That we're suddenly back from the past?'

"Yeah, that'll go over real smooth." Sirius said in agreement, which was something that happened close to never.

"It's actually Madam Pomfry now." Hermione chimed, cracking a smile at the young Sirius. "I'm sure if we told her the truth-..."

"For now, Hermione." Dumbledore stopped her. "I would appreciate it if Madam Pomfry did not know about the potion mishap. I would like to brief her later, in private. For now, I'll trust that you'll be imaginative enough to come up with something..?"

Hermione's cheeks turned pink at she nodded. "Uh, Yes sir."

The group stood, still keeping to themselves as they moved to the door. They were starting to mingle, speaking to each other. Dumbledore heard someone ask if the Hospital Wing was still in the same place, and someone answer. They were asking about the house cup, Quidditch, classes, the food. Dumbledore listened as their voices faded. Before Minerva could leave with the group, he stopped her. There was still a pressing matter, one of which had to be attended to.

"Minerva- wait. Tell Severus that he needs to come here as soon as possible." His voice was stern, the twinkle in his eyes dimmed.

"Is it about the Dark Lord, Albus?" Minerva questioned.

"It is. If Voldemort gets word that the Potters are alive, he might try to kill them again. If they cannot return to their past..." He trailed, swallowing hard.

Minerva didn't need to finish it. If James and Lily Potter didn't go back to the past to grow up and protect Harry, there would be no future. She only hoped it wasn't already too late.

* * *

It's not eight pages, it's seven. It's good enough though, right? And I updated nice and quick, didn't I? Good. Sorry for another cliffhanger, but I wanted to get the plot in there. I might toss in some romance, but the plot is the most important thing.

Anyway, Is it already too soon to stop Voldemort from erasing all traces of Harry Potter from the world? Click that review button to get one step closer to finding out.


	4. A Brief Intermission

Dear Readers,

Okay, I know fanfiction says that putting Notices in the story is bad and that it shouldn't be done, but this is the ONLY way I can get ahold of everyone all at once. This fic, in it's current state, will be discontinued. However, I do plan to rewrite it. Same plot, mostly same words, but this time more consistant and with less excuses.  
("They were asleep in the last chapter." Yeaaaah, riiiight.)

I want to be able to continue this story, but for that to happen I need to write it right. Please forgive me, and I hope that once the new version is put up everyone will be as interested in it as they were in this one.

Much love (and Zombies)

-Pen


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